Newark spokesman Felipe Luciano said the jobs were not posted publicly because they are not civil service jobs.

The mayor said in a statement that he hired his brothers because of their qualifications for the job.

In a resume supplied to The Auditor, the city pointed to Amiri Baraka Jr.'s experience as Baraka's chief of staff, as Baraka's campaign manager, a public school teacher, an aide to former mayor Sharpe James and a public health administrator.

"A Newark native and lifelong resident, he is also a veteran community activist and extremely knowledgeable about the political, legal, and other issues our City faces, and a natural choice for my Chief of Staff," Baraka said in a statement about Amiri Baraka Jr.

A resume supplied by the city for Jones indicated that he has worked as a basketball and football coach for various schools and camps, a community relations specialist for the city and was a site director for St. Peter's Recreation Center.

"My brother Obalaji has a 23-year career with the City of Newark and other organizations in the recreation and youth services field," Baraka said. "His appointment was motivated by that lengthy experience and institutional knowledge of Newark, its youth, and its issues."